Role of the Community Nurse

Community nurses play a unique and patient-centered role in educating and empowering patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, and providing assistance in activities of daily living. This article discusses the role of community nurses in two case studies and highlights the importance of patient education, self-management skills, and advocacy.

Running head: COMMUNITY NURSING PRACTICE
COMMUNITY NURSING PRACTICE
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Role of the Community Nurse
Community nurses, often also referred to as public health nurses, due to their direct
engagement with the general public and citizens of the community, often encounter patients
ranging from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, social diversities and varied psychological
profiles (Dening & Hibberd, 2016). The patients to be prioritized by the group of community
nurses include, Mrs. Zoya Solarian and Mrs. Ally Peterson. For each patient, the role of the
community nurse is unique and patient-centred and must focus extensively on patient
education, acquisition of self-management skills as well as increased advocacy and
empowerment for the patient.
Upon taking insights from the case of Mrs. Zoya Solarian, it can be understood that
she is primary inflicted with chronic diabetic metabolic complications along with the need for
adequate wound management in a high-risk scenario of self-care deficit and injuries due to
living alone. It is worthwhile to chronic metabolic conditions are a resultant of long term
engagement with detrimental dietary and lifestyle habits and can either be controlled or
undergo aggravation if balanced dietary and healthy lifestyle habits are adhered to. Chronic
metabolic conditions and symptoms, as observed in the case of Mrs. Zoya Solarian, often
undergo uncontrolled progression due to lack of awareness and education in the patient
concerning the same (Chrvala, Sherr & Lipman, 2016). Hence, the role of the community
nurse lies in educating the patient on key lifestyle and dietary strategies to be undertaken to
prevent her diabetic complications from aggravating any further. Further, complications like
diabetic foot ulcer and wound management required continuous monitoring and management
to observe emergence of infection and hasten healing (Edelman et al., 2015). Hence, the role
of the community nurses lies in teaching the patient on adequate skills pertaining to foot care
especially in the absence of nurses. The role of the community nurse also lies in empowering

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and educating the patient on her risk of acquiring falls and need to maintain safety
considering that she lives alone (Palmas et al., 2015).
Taking insights from the case study of Mrs. Ally Peterson, it can be observed that her
chronic neurological and psychological condition may result in her inability to engage in
personal and social activities resulting in her loss of emotional and social wellbeing.
Utilization of patient centred and family centred approaches, aids in hastened patient social
engagement due to the increased social support and regaining of personal ability to engage
activities of daily living (Whitehead et al., 2015). Hence, the role of the community nurse is
to educate the patient as well as her husband on not only managing pain but on strategies of
assistance in activities of daily living. This will not only ensure patient healthy and recovery
due to prevention of self-care deficit but will also result in the patient feeling empowered in
both personal and social spheres – a key role and responsibility of the community nurse
(Suijker et al., 2016).
Identification and Client Information
A group of six community nurses were engaged with the care prioritization and
deliverance of quality public health based nursing care to two patients. The group of
community nurses visited and monitored the patients for a single day, during morning shift
hours, followed by detailed documentation and handover formulation using the ISBAR tool
for each of the 17 visits throughout the day. The patients visited were Mrs. Zoya Solarian, a
72 year old widowed living alone and Ally Peterson, a 38 year old woman living with her
husband and two daughters.

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Situation/Current Issue
Identification of Situation/Current Issue
The current issue in Mrs. Solarian, was adequately dressing the venous ulcer in her
left leg and aid in her management of diabetes and metabolic complications. The current
issue being managed by the community nurse for Mrs. Ally Peterson was the mitigation of
neurological pain and provision of assistance and gaining control in the activities of daily
living (ADL).
Reason for Visiting
Prevention of diabetic foot ulcer aggravation, enhancement of wound healing,
monitoring of patient safety and education on self-management for the mitigation and
prevention of metabolic complication and ulcerous progression were the major reasons for
community nursing visit to Mrs. Solarian. Diligent monitoring and acquisition of self-
management skills aids in metabolic symptom regulation and prevention of risk of falls and
infection due to diabetic foot ulcer in patients living alone (Schaarup et al., 2017).
Management of pain and patient education as well as assistance in performance of
ADL were the reasons outlining community nurses’ visit in Mrs. Peterson. Patient acquisition
of self-management and ADL skills along with mitigation of neurological conditions aids in
hastened social engagement alleviation of psychological issues (depression in Mrs. Peterson)
and improved patient’s perception of empowerment (Strickland & Baguley, 2015).

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References
Chrvala, C. A., Sherr, D., & Lipman, R. D. (2016). Diabetes self-management education for
adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review of the effect on glycemic
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2015.11.003.
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care for patients with dementia. British journal of community nursing, 21(4), 198-202.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2016.21.4.198.
Dixon, L., & Thompson, H. (2018). The role of the district nurse in caring for patients with
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Edelman, D., Dolor, R. J., Coffman, C. J., Pereira, K. C., Granger, B. B., Lindquist, J. H., ...
& Bosworth, H. B. (2015). Nurse-led behavioral management of diabetes and
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Palmas, W., March, D., Darakjy, S., Findley, S. E., Teresi, J., Carrasquillo, O., & Luchsinger,
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Strickland, K., & Baguley, F. (2015). The role of the community nurse in care provision for
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